There are a lot of fun ways to get out and enjoy nature. One of the most relaxing and fun ways I’ve found has been RC Rock Crawling.

I’m patiently waiting for fall to arrive in NW Arkansas in earnest. The leaves are just starting to change, and I’ve been lacking the inspiration to get out and shoot landscapes. However, it’s a great time to get out with the camera and my RC rock crawler and have some fun.

What is RC rock crawling?

RC rock crawling is a segment of remote control car sports where speed isn’t always the right solution. This genre of RC comes from motorsports, where people drastically modify trucks and Jeeps to tackle amazingly difficult terrain. Like its full-size counterpart, the idea is to get your truck through seemingly impossible obstacles.

RC rock crawlers are built specifically for these conditions. They have fairly large, soft compound tires for maximum grip and ground clearance. Usually, they’ll have the ability to lock the diffs so that all four wheels constantly power the truck. Also, you’ll notice that they have super flexy suspension systems meant to keep the tires in contact with the ground through crazy terrain.

The cool thing with a lot of modern trucks is how versatile they are. Sure, you won’t be ripping one around a racetrack. However, a lot of them come with 2-speed gearboxes now. This makes them capable of being driven down trails on a hike in high gear. Then you can shift into low and do some rock crawling when you find the good stuff.

How fun is RC rock crawling?

RC Rock Crawling is an absolute blast! Pointing your truck at an obstacle and finding good lines to get over it is so satisfying. I still get impressed by the things my old HPI Crawler King can get up. These trucks aren’t available anymore, and mine is 12 years old. However, it’s still a ton of fun! You don’t need the latest and greatest vehicles to have a ball. (Although I won’t deny wanting a Traxxas TRX-4.)

It may sound strange to say a slow truck is fun, but it is. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of picking a good line through a technical rock garden with your RC crawler. RC rock crawling is a technical sport in some ways. Carefully picking your route, modulating the throttle, and getting the tires in just the right spots, it’s all part of the challenge and fun.

What does this have to do with photography?

I didn’t totally expect to write a blog post about RC Rock Crawling, but I thought there was some merit in it. Not only are rock crawlers a ton of fun, but also present a fun photo opportunity. I found myself enjoying the challenge of conveying action on a small scale.

I think combining photography with RC rock crawling ended up being a great practice. It’s a bit of product photography, a bit of lifestyle photography, and then a little sports photography for good measure.

One thing I had to remind myself about was the depth of field. My RC crawler is a 1/10 scale truck. Trying to get somewhat realistic-looking photos required a different frame of thinking. I tried shooting more around f/7.1 to keep from getting the surroundings too blown out of focus. I think it was a good exercise for getting my mind working on a photographic problem alongside the terrain problem-solving that rock crawling presents.

Would you try RC rock crawling?

Getting into RC rock crawling isn’t too bad. You can start off with the smaller 1/24 scale trucks for as little as $130 or spend a little more for a 1/18 or 1/10 scale truck. If you’re curious, google your local hobby shop and go get some guidance from the pros.

My local shop is NWA R/C Raceway, and they’re awesome. I recently went in for my first time looking to upgrade some parts on my truck. The guy there gave me good advice and I’m looking forward to going back. Every local hobby shop I’ve been to has had a real mom-and-pop feel, and they take great care of their customers.

To sum up, I love getting out my RC Crawler and hitting the rocks. It’s such a zen-like way to have fun and enjoy nature. Do you think you’ll look into RC rock crawling or are you already a fan of it? Let me know in the comments! Also, since we’re talking about hobbies today, be sure to check out why I think photography is a great portable hobby.